Motor problems

[emodracer]

Car will idle fine. Rev it up and it blows a bunch white smoke out. On the track it would cruise around the track fine and go to give it throttle and it would cut out real bad and blow white smoke out again. took plugs out and all 8 were fouled. any ideas

[jsf74]

I had a simmilar problem and it was a head gasket.

[johnny v]

yeah, white smoke "Usually" means water entering from somewhere.... cracked block, cracked head, head gasket, intake leak, etc......

[usafracer]

I think your lawn mower might have a bad blade. After all that is what kind of motor we are talking about here right?

[emodracer]

Hence the word "car" in the first sentence. Then "on the track" and "8 plugs" in other sentences it sure does sound like a lawn mower motor. Its a 358 with dart heads.

[emodracer]

I was thinking head gasket too but its on both sides of motor. I wouldnt think both head gaskets would go bad at the same exact time but its always a possibility i guess. Was also told it could be valve guides? I don't know alot about motors so I was just trying to get some general ideas.

[johnny v]

I was thinking head gasket too but its on both sides of motor. I wouldnt think both head gaskets would go bad at the same exact time but its always a possibility i guess. Was also told it could be valve guides? I don't know alot about motors so I was just trying to get some general ideas.

white smoke - water
blue smoke - oil

normal valve guide wear will smoke a little when you crank it........ blue smoke ...oil.....

[robbie124]

need more info are you on gas or alky this will tell me alot so i can help both head gaskets blowing is unlikly but possiable. what have been ur normally running temps and does the radiator cap try to blow off even when cold if you open it. it would be agood idea to step back and look at all the whole picture b4 you start chasing the white smoke ghost.

[emodracer]

I am running alcohol. Fuel pressure is set at about 8-1/2 lbs. 134 autolite plugs. running 190-200 degrees. Last week it did get up to 220 but havn't cleaned the radiator in a few weeks and had a long caution where we sat for a little bit. I never noticed anything with the cap. I checked fluid in radiator before this last race and was about 1/2 gallon low and i filled it back up. I usually run just water in it but this time i put about a 1/4 of a gallon of antifreeze in it.

[robbie124]

I am running alcohol. Fuel pressure is set at about 8-1/2 lbs. 134 autolite plugs. running 190-200 degrees. Last week it did get up to 220 but havn't cleaned the radiator in a few weeks and had a long caution where we sat for a little bit. I never noticed anything with the cap. I checked fluid in radiator before this last race and was about 1/2 gallon low and i filled it back up. I usually run just water in it but this time i put about a 1/4 of a gallon of antifreeze in it.

all 8 plugs fouling leads me to belive its not a head gasket unless its a really bad blown head gasket on both sides. the white smoke or steam tells me its defently a water issue or bad alky(i have seen this once)not likely tho. drain ur oil i am pretty sure if u were half a gallon low and dont have a leak that the antifreeze should show its self in the oil by now.
if oil looks good then u can go a diffrent direction being ur carb dumping way to much fuel in the motor. with alky this will also white smoke not just steam but white eye burning smoke.

[emodracer]

Oil looks good. Changed it two races ago too. Well one conisdering I only hot lapped one lap on saturday. Fuel pump looks as if it is seaping fuel through the gaskets. I buy my alcohol from the track. Should i have them test it?

[robbie124]

Oil looks good. Changed it two races ago too. Well one conisdering I only hot lapped one lap on saturday. Fuel pump looks as if it is seaping fuel through the gaskets. I buy my alcohol from the track. Should i have them test it?

if u buy alky at the track and there is more ppl running it with out a problem then i wouldnt worry about it. fuel pump leaking alittle is not the big problem here and its holding good fuel press ure i presume for ur set up. i would pull the heads it sounds like ur goin to be down a week or 2 any way ur better off spending a few bucks on head and intake gaskets. look for track marks between cyclinders (grooves) and take them to have them pressure tested and the seals and seats looked at i am leaning toward u finding aproblem in ur valve train and heads but u really dont know till u pull it apart. it never hurts to check out every thing while ur waiting and maby have ur carb checked out too alky is great runs cooler and is not affect by the weather as much but it is really agervating at times and can be hard on parts(bearings rings cyclinder walls so on and so forth)
good luck i hope i have pointed u in the right direction but its hard to trouble shoot throw a computer.

[emodracer]

Thanks for all your help i appreciate it